


A Supernatural Study in Hogwarts

by LPCollins



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Sherlock (TV), Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-10-11 03:42:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17439293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LPCollins/pseuds/LPCollins
Summary: Ilvermorny and Hogwarts have decided to do an exchange program with some of their most promising students. The Winchester brothers and some of their friends have decided to participate, and so has the Shurley family. When the Americans get to Hogwarts, it doesn't take them long before getting to know the local students and making some new friends, one of them being the school freak Sherlock Holmes. And they soon discover they'll need all the friends they can get because something strange is going on at Hogwarts, something that forms a danger to all of them and that they will only be able to fix if they work together.





	1. The Hogwarts Express

**The Ilvermorny Houses**

Horned Serpent:  
\- Sam Winchester  
\- Kevin Tran  
(- Metatron Shurley)

Wampus:  
\- Michael Shurley  
\- Lucifer Milton

Thunderbird:  
\- Dean Winchester  
\- Gabriel Shurley  
\- Charlie Bradbury  
(- John Winchester)  
(- Bobby Singer)

Pukwudgie:  
\- Castiel Shurley  
\- Adam Winchester  
\- Samandriel Shurley  
(- Chuck Shurley)

~~~

 

"Alright, who's ready for a party?" Dean yelled with a wide grin from his seat.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's childish behavior but he also couldn't suppress a smile at the enthusiasm they all shared.

"Dude, we're going to Hogwarts!" the older Winchester exclaimed, spreading his arms and nearly slapping Adam in the face, who was unfortunate enough to be seated next to him.

And they were. The three brothers were in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, the final stage of the long journey they'd undertaken since leaving Ilvermorny. They were all beyond excited at this unique experience, Dean was just the only one showing it this much. But that didn't change the fact the Winchesters had indeed been offered an opportunity of a lifetime. As Sam looked out of the window, he wondered what the odds were of being selected for the brand-new exchange program between Hogwarts and Ilvermorny. There were about thirty children on this train right now, all of them at different years and from different Houses. Now, Sam didn't know how many applicants there'd been but he figured quite a lot. This was only a trial, so who knew if they'd get another chance next year?

He ignored his brother's rambling and instead enjoyed the view of the British countryside passing by. Of course he'd done his research on the place but he was still taken aback by how different from the United States everything was. The mountains, the forests, the meadows, it was all so magical compared to what he was used to. And in a world of wizards that was saying a lot.

"Sam. Sam. Sam. Sammy. Sam!"

"What is it, Dean?" he shot back, bitch facing his brother in the meantime.

"You think this place'll be any different from Ilvermorny?"

Sam huffed in disbelief. "Look around you. What do you think?"

"Well yeah, obviously," Dean retorted. "I'm talking about Hogwarts. You know, is it a castle just like Ilvermorny? Do they have Houses too?"

The younger Winchester had trouble not sighing and giving up. Adam looked at him sympathetically.

"You haven't done any research at all, have you?" Sam questioned in a more than judging tone.

Dean shrugged and gave him an arrogant grin. "Isn't that what I've got you for?"

Not even remotely surprised, Sam rolled his eyes before sharing what he'd found out. "First of all, yes, Hogwarts is a castle. As are most wizarding schools by the way. It's a lot older than Ilvermorny but as far as I could tell, the two are very similar. Probably because the founders of Ilvermorny based our school off of Hogwarts. So yes, Hogwarts has Houses too, four of them, just like Ilvermorny, although they do represent different values. They're called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I looked into them a little bit more and I think it's safe to say I will be sorted into Ravenclaw, Dean into Gryffindor, and Adam, you'll probably be in Hufflepuff."

"Seriously?" Dean complained. "We'll all be in different Houses _again_?"

Sam laughed at his brother's disappointment. "Well, what did you expect? It's not exactly a surprise. We already knew we just don't really have anything in common."

Dean's face fell immediately. "Hey, no talking like that, alright?" he said, his finger pointing at Sam accusingly. "We're Winchesters..."

"We're Thunderbirds, yeah I get it," Sam finished the family motto their dad used to say when they were younger. He knew that wasn't what his brother was going to say but Dean'd sure as hell thought it. "Except that I'm not. And neither is Adam, even though no one seems to care about that since his mom was a Pukwudgie as well."

"Well, you could've been," Dean noted and Sam sat back with a sigh.

It was a never-ending point of discussion. Sam had been offered both the Thunderbird and the Horned Serpent and he'd chosen the latter. And his family still wondered why. Well, the truth was Sam had chosen his own path instead of following the family tradition. It wasn't like their dad disapproved of him being a Horned Serpent, it just hadn't been what he expected or hoped for. Both their parents came from a family of proud Thunderbirds. They'd met at Ilvermorny and been together ever since, till the day their mother died at least. Their dad had wanted his boys to continue the family legacy, for them to stick together and be a family, to honor their mom and everything she represented. So even though, after a lot of fights, everyone had finally come to turns with the situation Sam had put them in, sometimes it still rose to the surface to cause trouble.

"Just..." Dean started. "If you get to pick the Gryffindor thing..."

"I won't," Sam interrupted him.

"Well, Thunderbird picked you and you're saying I'm going to Gryffindor so..."

"First of all, they're not the same thing, Dean," Sam explained. "Like I said, Hogwarts Houses have different values. Just because I think you're going to Gryffindor, doesn't mean all Thunderbirds are. And secondly, I won't get to pick. Hogwarts Houses don't pick you, you are assigned to them. By a hat, I've heard."

Dean's eyebrows shot up and he looked at him in shock. "A hat?" When Sam just shrugged, he repeated, "A hat is going to tell us in which House we belong?"

"Apparently, yeah."

"Jesus," Dean mumbled. After a few seconds of silence he added, "In what House you think Dad would be in?"

"Gryffindor," Sam replied without as much as a second of hesitation. "Dad'd definitely be a Gryffindor."

Dean nodded and Sam looked out of the window again.

"You think he'll come visit?" he wondered aloud after a while.

Dean shrugged. "Maybe. If he's not too busy."

John Winchester was one of MACUSA's best and most famous Aurors. He wasn't home very often, so before they went to Ilvermorny, Sam and Dean had spent a lot of time living with their father's friends. Bobby Singer, an old Thunderbird family friend, former Auror and one of the accompanying teachers on the exchange trip, was basically like a second father to them. No, if Sam was being honest with himself, he didn't think their dad would visit. Not unless he'd got a job in the UK too.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door of the compartment opening and Charlie and Kevin walking through.

"What's up, dudes?" Charlie grinned while squeezing herself in between Dean and Adam. His older brother's smile lit up at the sight of the redheaded girl that was not only his classmate, but also one of his best friends.

Kevin went to sit next to Sam and offered his fellow Horned Serpent a shy smile. Of all the Ilvermorny students Kevin had probably been one of the most likely to get into the program. He was an incredibly smart kid and had no reason to be worried about the event whatsoever, so it was kinda adorable he was just as nervous as Sam and the rest of them.

"Hey, Sam says he knows what Houses we're getting in," Dean was telling Charlie in the meantime.

"Really?" she gasped at him excitedly.

Sam and Kevin exchanged an amused look at the enthusiasm about something so simple.

"I'll be in Ravenclaw, Dean in Gryffindor and Adam in Hufflepuff," Sam told her.

"And I'm definitely gonna be in Ravenclaw too," Kevin added.

Charlie gave them an expectant look. "Okay, so what about me?"

Both Horned Serpents shrugged before saying,

"Gryffindor."

"Hufflepuff."

And then looked at each other in shock.

Dean was having the time of his life with the look on their faces and burst out in laughter. "So far for the smart kids, huh?"

Sam was just about to prove his point before his brother stopped him. "Nope, no intellectual debates. Not on this train to probably the coolest place we've ever been at. You two can keep that shit to yourselves until you're in the Ravenclaw dorms."

"But..." Kevin started, but was interrupted by Dean too.

"Doesn't matter, Kev. You and Sam can fight it out later. Who cares if Charles and I temporarily aren't in the same House anyway. At least we got some friends already."

"Yeah, about that, Adam," Sam started, turning to his younger brother. "Did Jo eventually make the cut?"

Jo was a Thunderbird as well but she was the same age as Adam and the two of them had been really close friends for a long time now. Oh, and she also used to have a crush on Dean.

Adam shook his head. "No, she didn't make it through the last round unfortunately. But she promised to write and keep us up to date on Ilvermorny."

"That sucks, man," Dean commented and Charlie petted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "So then what third-years are coming?"

Adam shrugged and looked down, fidgeting with a corner of his robes. "No one in particular."

That was all Dean needed to ask on and he grinned mischievously. "The cute Pukwudgie kid doesn't happen to be one of them, does he?"

Sam offered his younger brother an apologizing smile. They all knew Adam had quite the thing for one of his classmates, even though he refused to tell them who exactly this mysterious boy was. They only knew Adam liked him but didn't really know him very well because the guy apparently spent most of his time with his family. But that was enough for Dean to tease him about it.

Adam seemed to be doing his very best to glare his oldest brother to death while responding, "So what if he is?"

Ignoring a fangirling Charlie next to him, Dean shrugged. "I don't know," he mocked. "Maybe you could... well, let's see... jeez, actually _talk to him_ for a change?"

"Fuck off, Dean," Adam grumbled, crossing his arms in stubborn refusal.

"No, seriously, you've basically been living with this guy for years now, how is it you still haven't made a move or something?"

Sam decided it might be a good idea to get some of the pressure off of his little brother. "Well, Dean, let's just say not all of us flirt as easily as you do with every living being you encounter."

Dean rolled his eyes in annoyance but at least he dropped the subject. He put his elbow on the windowsill and looked outside, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Eventually, he said, "No matter what House we're getting in, we're sticking together, alright? We're family."

Even Sam couldn't help but smile at that. There was nothing his brother wouldn't do for family and he knew it. "And we always will be," he answered, meeting Dean's green eyes, and all five of them smiled at the thought of the small group of friends that was their home.


	2. The Honeydukes Express

"Alright guys, listen up," Michael started a couple of compartments further down the train and Gabriel rolled his eyes at what without doubt was going to be his family's usual cheering on speech. Hooray.

Don't get him wrong, he loved his brother, but Michael had the annoying habit of taking his job as the head of the family very seriously. And that included speeches.

"Listen, this is an extraordinary event for all of us," his older brother continued. "The four of us have been chosen for this special occasion and it is our duty to not screw it up." Okay, so maybe his gaze rested on Gabriel a little longer than it did on their other brothers. "Now, we're all nervous but that's perfectly normal, alright? We're heading into unfamiliar territory and it's gonna be quite the adjustment. Of course we will always have each other but it's still basically like our first day at Ilvermorny. We'll be in different years and probably different Houses too, just like at home. Maybe we'll be a little less divided, maybe even more. But whatever happens later today, whatever Houses we get into, I want the three of you to do one thing for me." He locked eyes with each one of them before saying, "I want you to make some friends in your Houses. Locals, if possible. Because we're all new to this, so if you need anything, at anytime, you've gotta have someone who can help you."

Now in a normal family that request probably wouldn't be that strange, normal people usually made friends on their own anyway. But the Shurleys... well, they weren't exactly normal. And they were absolutely terrible at making friends. Gabriel had basically scared away all of the other Thunderbirds in his year from day one by playing his tricks on them. And honestly, he didn't even care that he did. It had been quite amusing. Castiel was as antisocial as they came and only really hung out with Samandriel, who had always been a shy kid and was more than happy to stick with his fellow Pukwudgie brother.

And as for Michael himself... the guy sometimes really could be an arrogant dick if he wanted to. He was the Wampus Quidditch captain, the best Chaser Ilvermorny had seen in years, a Prefect, the Head Boy and the oldest member of the famous and prestigious Shurley family. The entire school looked up to him and he was damn well aware of it. The kids that weren't intimidated by him basically kissed his ass and although Michael quite enjoyed his reputation, he wasn't a fan of suck-ups. The only one who wasn't afraid to stand up to him was one of his Wampus classmates, a boy who took every opportunity to bring Michael down a bit. Michael claimed to be extremely annoyed by it and to hate the guy's guts, but Gabriel didn't buy it. In fact, he was pretty sure Michael secretly enjoyed someone treating him like a normal person, even though he would never admit it out loud.

So no, becoming friends with the locals wouldn't be easy. Gabriel really hoped British kids weren't as stuck-up as they were told to be. He groaned in annoyance at the thought alone. Next to him, Castiel frowned like this was the most challenging assignment he'd ever been given and Samandriel's eyes were big with terror. Yeah, their family was anything but normal.

"I'll try but you know I can't promise anything," Gabriel sighed.

Michael pulled up an eyebrow at him. "I know your way of "trying", Gabriel, so could you please for a change really put in some effort?"

"Are you saying I normally don't put in effort?" he exclaimed in feigned disbelief.

Unfortunately, Michael knew him long enough to completely ignore his drama and simply said, "Yeah."

As Gabriel pretended to be deeply insulted and sat back with his arms crossed and his lips pouting, he noticed a little smile on his younger brothers' faces at his ridiculous behavior. _Mission accomplished._

Gabriel himself couldn't care less about the student exchange. He'd just seen it as an opportunity to discover another part of the world and get a little change of scene. He was a Thunderbird for a reason, after all. But he knew Michael planned for their trip to become a great educational success and his little brothers were nervous as hell about it.

And of course it didn't help their dad was joining them too, even though he'd already be leaving again after a few days. Gabriel guessed he was probably with some of the teachers in a separate compartment now. Maybe he'd even be discussing his children with them. That would certainly result in quite some surprises since his father basically knew nothing at all about their education. Well, except from Michael's of course. His older brother always made sure his dad was well aware of the grades he got. Gabriel just hoped his teachers would be too polite to tell Chuck about all the skeletons in his closet. Merlin knew he had _a lot_. Yeah, in Gabriel's case it was almost a good thing their dad didn't have that much time for his kids. He didn't mind. It was probably to be expected if your father was the President of MACUSA.

That's right, Charles "Chuck" Shurley, one of the most powerful wizards of the United States, maybe even in the world, was his father. Okay, adoptive father. But that didn't change the expectations basically everyone had of them. It also didn't help Gabriel was the second oldest and therefore was compared to Michael all the time, something that usually wasn't exactly in his favor.

"Do we know something about the Houses?" Castiel interrupted his thoughts.

Michael nodded. "I know what they're called but that's it. I have no idea if they're more or less the same as ours. Their names are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Hopefully the teachers will tell us something more about them when we get there. I'll definitely try to find out what I can before the sorting ceremony."

The three other boys nodded in agreement before falling into silence, each of them preoccupied with their own thoughts. Knowing them, they'd all be worrying about what was going to happen and Gabriel wasn't in the mood to watch their pensive frowns for the next couple of hours.

He got up. "I've heard there's a candy cart somewhere in here, anyone want anything?"

To his sarcastic surprise all of his brothers shook their heads and he rolled his eyes before leaving. _They really shouldn't take life this seriously._

He strolled up and down the train until he finally found the cart. He started towards it, his eyes growing wide and his mouth starting to water at the sight of all the candy, but stopped when two other boys approached it from the other side. One of them was so tall he actually had Gabriel questioning if he'd accidentally stepped into a wormhole. After checking (twice), he noticed the kid had longish, brown hair and was hot as hell and Gabriel knew he'd never seen him before because dammit, that would've been something he'd remembered. The other boy was a lot shorter and Asian. He was also kinda cute but not like the other one, and the two of them seemed to be in a heated debate. Trying (and failing) not to eavesdrop, he leaned against the door of one of the compartments and waited for them to go first.

"I think you're underestimating how brave Charlie can be," Hot Guy argued.

Less Hot Guy shook his head and laughed. " _I_ think _you_ are underestimating how kind and loyal Charlie can be."

"I never said she wasn't. I just think she'd definitely have the balls to be a Gryffindor."

Gabriel actually had to think for a second what in hell a "Gryffindor" was, before he remembered what his brother told him only a couple of minutes earlier. _Houses. Right._

"It's not about what she _could_ be," Less Hot Guy noted. "It's about what she prefers. And I think she'd prefer to be a Hufflepuff."

"How can I help you boys?" the witch from the cart interrupted their discussion.

"Hi," Hot Guy greeted her. "I'd like a bag of Apple Rings, please."

"And a Licorice Wand for me," Less Hot Guy added.

"Oh, and do you happen to have any pie?" Hot Guy asked suddenly.

"Sure, honey," the lady smiled at him. "Will a pumpkin pasty do?"

"Right, dammit," Hot Guy mumbled. "I meant... uhm... tart?"

_Poor kid. Weird British people,_ Gabriel thought to himself.

"Oh yes, of course!" the witch called. "A piece of pumpkin tart then? I also have Cauldron Cakes if you'd like."

"Pumpkin tart would be great, thank you," Hot Guy smiled and Gabriel felt his intestines melt. He wasn't picky, checked out people quite often in fact, but this young wizard really was something else.

The two boys payed and left with their candy, giving Gabriel quite the view of Hot Guy's ass. It was only when they disappeared out of sight that he snapped out of it and went over to the cart.

"Hello, dear," the lady greeted him. "What can I get for you?"

"I'll take one of those Cauldron Cakes actually," he answered while checking out the rest of the food.

"Alright then." She took one of the cakes. "Anything else?"

He didn't even have to think twice about it. "Yes, I'd also like ten Chocolate Frogs, five packs of Jelly Slugs, two boxes of Bertie Bott's and... what's the blue thing?"

"Oh, this?" the friendly witch asked, picking up a small piece of candy. "This is Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, dear. Never loses its flavor!"

"Fine, you can add one of those too then," Gabriel shrugged.

He ended up paying her four galleons before taking the candy, a task that wasn't very convenient.

"You know, your friends really shouldn't have sent you off to fetch everything on your own," the lady said in a worried voice.

"What?" Gabriel asked in surprise and then looked down at his full arms. "Oh. Nah, don't worry about it, I don't have any friends." And with that he walked away, debating whether he should go back to his brothers (where he'd probably get scolded by Michael) or find a place to enjoy his candy on his own.

Yes, definitely the second.


	3. The Sorting Ceremony

A couple of hours later the Ilvermorny students walked into Hogwarts. All of the children were chattering excitedly while they admired the beautiful castle they'd just stepped into.

Gabriel made his way through the crowd until he'd finally found his brothers again.

"Where the hell have you been?" Michael hissed as soon as he spotted him. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

The other boy shrugged. "I don't know. Want a Chocolate Frog to make it up to you?"

Michael rolled his eyes and took the candy, if only so Gabriel wouldn't eat it himself. The kid was probably on enough sugar already.

The group of students came to a stop in front of a pair of enormous double doors. Professor Singer, their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, was waiting in front of them and was soon joined by Professor Metatron Shurley and Chuck Shurley himself.

Gabriel sighed inwardly. As if it wasn't bad enough his dad was coming but nooo, of course his uncle had to join them too. Well, kinda uncle, Metatron and Chuck weren't really brothers, Gabriel thought they were cousins or something? It was complicated. Anyway, fact was that the guy was family and family seemed to be following him everywhere. At least Aunt Amara wasn't here. Probably because Ilvermorny wouldn't last a week without its Headmistress. Yup, even at home Gabriel had been surrounded by family members watching his every move. No wonder he acted out whenever they weren't around.

All of the other students, however, including his brothers, were looking at the adults in anticipating silence.

"Alright kids," Professor Singer started. "I know it's late and you're hungry, so I promise after we go in and you're sorted into your Houses, you can all go stuff your faces. But some people gotta give some speeches first so hold it until they're finished, would ya?"

Without further ado the teachers turned around and the doors opened. Some children gasped for air as soon as the Great Hall came into view. Most of them at the sight of the enormous room that looked so much older than the one in Ilvermorny, others, like Dean Winchester, at the food that was already waiting for them on the tables.

"Dean, close your mouth," Sam commented, receiving a glare in return.

On both sides there were two long tables full of students who were staring at them and at the end was the table for the teachers. Right in the middle of it, in front of a large, golden chair, stood a stern-looking man in a suit. He wasn't even that tall and yet all of the American children at once decided they shouldn't mess with this man. Okay, maybe almost all of the children. His dark hair was thinning out and combed back neatly and his piercing eyes scanned through the group like those of a hawk.

Charlie, who was standing rather at the back with her friends, let out a soft whistle. "And I thought Shurley One was bad."

Yes, they'd numbered Professors Amara and Metatron Shurley. It got confusing if you didn't.

"She definitely seems like a sweetheart now," Dean mumbled.

The students walked up the aisle until they were standing at the front, where their teachers came to stop.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the guy in the suit called out, spreading his hands before clapping them back together. "As some of you may or may not already know, my name is Professor Mycroft Holmes and I'm the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Gabriel may or may not have snorted at the man's name and Michael may or may not have slapped him against the back of his head for it.

"Since I know you have just passed a long journey, I will keep it short. First of all, I would like to congratulate you for being chosen to join us in the first international exchange program between Hogwarts and Ilvermorny. My staff members and I are very excited to welcome you in our home and look forward to what we hope will be a successful undertaking. Just like we would normally do with our first-year students, you will be sorted into one of Hogwarts' four Houses. After that you can all enjoy the banquet with your new House members and after dinner our Prefects will lead you to your common rooms. They will provide you with all of the information you need to start your classes tomorrow. But before that I would like to hand the floor over to Mr. Charles Shurley, President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America!"

The Great Hall burst out into applause and Chuck Shurley made his way towards the Head Table. "Thank you!" he said as soon as the students calmed down again. "Thank you, Professor Holmes, for that very warm welcome. Oh and please, just call me Chuck," he added with a broad smile on his face. "I couldn't have expressed better myself how happy we are with the collaboration between our two countries. I know we don't always agree on everything but I'm convinced our students can learn a lot from each other and I look forward to the results of this project. This is the first time in history something like this has been done and that's why I wanted to come over myself and officially accompany these children on such an exciting journey. I'm very proud of the young wizards and witches standing here in front of me, and of our students in general."

"Didn't his kids get into the program too?" Dean whispered and his brother nodded. "Talking about privileged."

"I'm sure they'll be an example of the same values they were taught at Ilvermorny and try their very best to complete this exchange successfully. We are incredibly grateful for the chance they've been offered and the welcome that they're given, which I'm sure is just as warm as the one the Hogwarts students are receiving right now at Ilvermorny. Now, it's been a long trip and we're all hungry, so I won't keep you any longer and just want to wish you good luck and a wonderful, enlightening experience. Thank you."

People started applauding again, Michael probably loudest of all. His chest swelled with pride as his father took a step back and Professor Holmes started speaking again.

"Thank you, Mister President. Then I suggest we now continue with the Sorting Ceremony," he said before sitting down in his seat.

A small, older witch with a kind smile got up from her place at the Head Table and placed a stool with an old, worn-out wizard's hat on top of it in front of the group.

Dean pulled up his eyebrows. "That's it? That's the hat that's gonna sort us?"

Sam and Kevin exchanged a worried look, suddenly not so sure about themselves anymore.

"British people are weird," Charlie sing-songed.

A little bit up front Castiel tilted his head and Samandriel whispered, "This is... peculiar."

And then of course the hat started singing.

"This is absolutely insane," Gabriel mumbled, as basically all of the Ilvermorny students stared at the hat with wide eyes. Even Bobby looked a bit taken aback.

After the song had ended and they now all had an idea what the Hogwarts Houses were about, the lady opened a roll of parchment. "I'm Professor Hudson," she smiled at them. "Please sit on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat when I call your name. Bradbury, Charlie!"

"Oh shit," Charlie muttered and Dean gave her a reassuring squeeze before she made her way to the front of the group. Professor Hudson lifted the hat so she could sit down and then placed it on her head. It was a little big for her but it didn't seem to care.

The entire Great Hall turned silent in anticipation of what was going to happen.

"Two sickles," Kevin whispered and Sam nodded.

"Deal."

The room remained quiet for a couple of seconds longer before the Sorting Hat finally opened its mouth.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Both Sam and Kevin's jaw dropped and Dean burst out laughing. Charlie gave them a grin as well and then walked towards the first table to their left.

"Wasn't Ravenclaw for smart people?" the oldest Winchester mocked, while Professor Hudson continued to call forward students. "'Cause in that case you two can both kiss it goodbye."

Sam smacked him against the arm and Kevin certainly didn't look amused either. All the while Adam was trying to hide a smile behind his hand.

In the meantime Michael looked back in annoyance, trying to figure out what all of the fuss in the back of the group was about. He couldn't see who it was though, so he turned back just in time to hear Professor Hudson call the next name.

"Milton, Lucifer!"

_Dammit..._ Michael swallowed as he watched his fellow Wampus walk to the stool. Now that he knew what values the Houses represented, Michael had a feeling he knew which House he'd be sorted into. And he could also guess where Lucifer would end up. _And that's okay because the guy is a complete asshole,_ he thought. _Right?_

"SLYTHERIN!"

He gnashed his teeth but stopped before his brothers could notice. He'd basically been living with Lucifer for six years now. He should be happy he got a break from it. And yet something kept nagging at him when he watched that arrogant smirk strode towards the table at the far left.

"Are you okay?" Samandriel asked quietly and Michael cursed himself for being so obvious.

He offered his brother a comforting smile. "Yes, of course."

The youngest member of their family looked satisfied with that but when Michael looked back up, he noticed Gabriel watching him curiously from the corner of his eye. He should've known. Very few things ever escaped Gabriel's attention.

More names passed by and then, "Shurley, Castiel!"

Almost immediately the Hogwarts students started talking among themselves. They weren't stupid and the smile on Chuck Shurley's face was also kinda hard to miss.

Castiel simply ignored them. He was used to this sort of reactions when people found out who his father was. The hat was placed on his head and after a couple of seconds, it shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

He didn't really have a preference but smiled nonetheless and then joined the table with his new House mates.

"Shurley, Gabriel!"

If Michael hadn't been standing so close to him, Gabriel would definitely have groaned in despair. He walked up to the stool and sat down. The hat almost fell over his eyes.

_Please don't let me be stuck with Michael for the rest of the semester,_ he thought to himself, not expecting a reply. Well, too bad.

"And what would you mean by that, boy?" the Sorting Hat whispered into his ear.

_Uhm..._ How was he supposed to answer that? _Don't get me wrong, not that I don't love my brother, I do, but I'm kinda sick of being compared to him, you know? I mean, like my family isn't enough to handle already and then Michael getting into Wampus... You have no idea how happy I was when I became a Thunderbird. I mean, can you imagine? Me? A Wampus?_

"With difficulty," the Hat admitted.

_See? Anyways, I like doing my own thing. And I'm pretty sure Michael's gonna be a Gryffindor, so could you maybe... I don't know... not put me there?_

"Not Gryffindor, huh?" the Hat said. "That's too bad, you'd make a fine Gryffindor underneath all of that deceiving people. Very well, in that case... SLYTHERIN!"

He would be lying if he said he wasn't smiling a bit while walking to his new table.

"Shurley, Michael!"

The entire Great Hall would probably agree Michael looked a bit too proud when he got to the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

And when he walked back to the Gryffindor table.

"Shurley, Samandriel!"

Poor Samandriel looked terrified as he went to sit on the stool, but that immediately changed when the Hat called, "HUFFLEPUFF!", and he basically ran towards his youngest brother with a happy smile on his face.

"Tran, Kevin!"

Sam gave his friend a quick pat on the shoulder before Kevin went to take the seat.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Now it was just the Winchesters and a couple of other students they didn't know. One by one those were called forward too until the three of them were all that was left.

"Good luck," Sam whispered to his little brother, who smiled a bit in return.

"Go get the Pukwudgie kid, whoever he is," Dean decided to add. He was ignored.

"Winchester, Adam!"

Adam walked up to the front and the Hat had barely touched his head before it shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"By the look on his face I'm getting he got the Pukwudgie kid," Dean grinned and then looked at his brother. "Guess that leaves you and me, Sammy. Good luck."

"Winchester, Dean!"

Dean gave him a quick wink before leaving his brother by himself, acting a lot more confident than he felt. As soon as he sat down, he couldn't help but think, _Please be Gryffindor, please be Gryffindor... Dad would be so proud..._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sam smiled a little while watching his brother join the other Gryffindors with that broad grin on his face. He was happy Dean got the House Sam knew he'd wanted. Now it was his turn.

"Winchester, Sam!"

He made his way to the stool, took a deep breath and sat down. He was grateful the Hat didn't make its decision immediately. _If you can hear me, and I think you do, I would like to ask for a favor. I could be wrong but I think I might fit in with both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. And I'd like to be a Ravenclaw if you don't mind. Not because I think I'm that smart or not brave enough but because I want to go my own way. I think Ravenclaw might fit me better than even Horned Serpent does. I know who I wanna be, even if that's not the person my family would wish I was._

It was quiet for a moment. Then the Hat whispered, "I think you're underestimating your family, Sam Winchester."

Sam barely had time to process what had just happened before the Sorting Hat announced its decision.

"RAVENCLAW!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment your House! (because now I'm curious) (Oh also, if anyone's interested, I'm Gryffindor and Thunderbird and I'm damn proud of it :D)


	4. Gryffindor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The Hogwarts Houses**
> 
> Gryffindor:  
> \- Dean Winchester  
> \- John Watson  
> \- Michael Shurley  
> \- Mick Davies  
> (- Greg Lestrade)

Professor Holmes got up one last time while Professor Hudson put away the stool and Sorting Hat again.

"Good," he started. "Now that that is all **(sorted out)** settled, I would like to make one last announcement for our home students. As you may have already noticed, two of our teachers have joined the group that has been elected to attend Ilvermorny. They will be replaced by the American teachers Professor Robert Singer, who will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Professor Metatron Shurley, who will not only take over the Astronomy classes but also the function of the Head of Ravenclaw. And then I will now leave you to enjoy your meals."

"Finally," Dean muttered before attacking the food.

The boy next to him, a small Hogwarts student with dirty blond hair, snickered at that.

When Dean gave him a defiant look in return, the kid put up his hands in defense. "Sorry, didn't mean to offend you or something."

"Oh no, it's okay," Dean was quick to say, realizing how he'd probably just come across. "It's fine, really. I just get a little cranky when I'm hungry," he grinned.

The other boy laughed and nodded. "Good to know." He held out his hand. "I'm John. John Watson."

"Dean Winchester," Dean replied and shook John's hand. "Funny, my dad's a John."

"Oh really?" John asked in surprise. "Well, I guess it's quite the common name."

"You don't happen to know any Mary's?" Dean joked and when John looked at him questioningly, he added, "My mom's name."

The English kid laughed and shook his head. "No, sorry. Never met a Mary in my life." **(I just watched Sherlock S4E1 and now this hurts)**

Dean nodded, his thoughts now wandering through the memories of his mother. It was moments like these, all alone in a new House without anyone he knew, that he missed her the most. Not that he'd ever let it show.

"So Dean, what year are you in?" John asked.

"Sixth," he answered. "You?"

"Seventh. But Mick here is in sixth too." He patted the shoulder of the dark-haired boy on his other side, who looked up in surprise.

"Sorry, what?" he asked.

"Mick, this is Dean. Dean, this is Mick Davies," John introduced the two.

Mick greeted him quickly before his gaze wandered towards the boy across from Dean. The American kid with his neat, black hair had mostly just been eating in silence but occasionally looked up at their conversation.

Once he noticed Mick watching him, the English boy dared to ask, "Excuse me? I don't want to intrude but weren't you one of the Shurleys?"

Michael's eyebrows shot up in surprise for a moment before he smiled and extended his hand. "Yeah. Michael Shurley, nice to meet you."

"Mick Davies. This is John and... well, you probably know Dean, I guess."

"Actually we've never really met," Dean said. Not that it really mattered. Everyone at Ilvermorny knew who Michael was.

Michael shrugged in response. "Different years, different Houses. But I've heard of you of course." He grinned. "Dean has quite the reputation."

Dean laughed at that. If one of them had a reputation, it sure as hell wasn't him.

With a look of curiosity, Mick asked, "So you're really the President's son?"

"That's right."

"Must be nice," John noted.

"It's alright, I guess," Michael answered, taking a bite of his potatoes.

"What year are you in?" Mick asked.

"Seventh. Dean, you're sixth, right?"

Dean nodded and John laughed. "Guess that means you're stuck with me then."

Mick had a frown on his face and turned towards Dean. "Sorry, Dean, what did you say your last name was again?"

"Winchester," he shrugged. "Why?"

"I don't know," Mick said in a frustrated voice. "I feel like I know that name and yet I can't put my finger on it..."

Dean had no idea how a British kid could possibly knew his family but...

"Hold on!" Mick suddenly exclaimed. "You aren't by any chance related to John Winchester, are you?"

"Uh... yeah?" Dean said in an uncertain voice, not sure why that would matter.

John tilted his head in confusion. "Wasn't that your dad? Should we know him?"

Dean nodded at the first question, still not understanding how Mick knew his dad.

"Your dad?" Mick exclaimed. "John Winchester, the best Auror in the world, is your _dad_?"

Oh so that's why... "Yeah," Dean answered a little surprised. "Although 'best' may be a bit overreacted. You've heard of him?"

"Yes, of course I've heard of him, who hasn't?"

John decided it might not be the best idea to raise his hand.

"I'm such a big fan of your father's," Mick continued. "I had no idea he had a son! He must be away a lot."

"Three sons actually," Dean corrected him. "And yeah, he is but that's alright. I understand."

"I want to become an Auror, you know," Mick told him.

Dean grinned. "You're kidding me, right? Me too, I've always wanted to step in my dad's footsteps."

"I bet you do with a father like yours. Unbelievable, we could be co-workers one day."

"Or competition," Dean laughed and Mick looked at him in shock.

"You stay on your own continent, would you?"

The two of them laughed at that and continued on the subject a bit more. Michael and John exchanged a smile at the enthusiasm the boys shared. It looked like the Americans had found their squad.

"So what's Gryffindor like?" Michael asked once Dean and Mick seemed done with their conversation.

John shrugged. "Oh well, you've heard what the Sorting Hat said, we're supposed to represent courage. Our colors are gold and red, as you can probably tell, and our common room is in the Gryffindor tower, which we will show you later. See that man next to Professor Holmes?"

Dean and Michael looked up to find a man with short, greying hair dressed in a dark green cloak.

"That's Professor Lestrade," John continued to explain. "He's the Head of Gryffindor. He also teaches Charms."

"Rumor also has it he's dating Holmes," Mick added in a whisper, making both of the Americans immediately look back at the two teachers. Professor Holmes was talking to the President and Lestrade seemed very focused on his food.

John rolled his eyes. "There's no evidence for that whatsoever, Mick. Everyone knows it's just gossip. Anyhow," he pointed his attention back at Dean and Michael, "he's very nice so you don't have to worry about him. I think that's all there is to say, really. Well, except maybe that Gryffindors are said to get along best with Hufflepuffs and worst with Slytherins, but that's only if you believe the stereotypes of course."

"Which we don't," Mick added.

"Yes, Mick actually even has a tendency of falling in love with one of the worst Slytherins," John stated dryly.

"Do not," the other boy objected. "You've just never given him a chance."

"Oh, I think I've given Arthur Ketch plenty of chances if you ask me," John scoffed. They'd had this conversation a bazillion times before and yet... "Hold on a second, are you implying that the two of you are back together?"

Mick looked down at his plate.

"Oh for Merlin's beard!" John exclaimed. "How many times do I have to tell you? Ketch is a sociopath, you're not supposed to date sociopaths!"

"Okay, first of all," Mick retorted, "he's not a sociopath and you know it. And secondly, he loves me and I love him."

"He would sell you for a galleon."

"Would not! He holds his principles in very high regard."

Dean started to feel like this conversation wouldn't be going anywhere so he decided to interfere. "So... Ketch?"

John let out a sigh of annoyance at the name alone. "Arthur Ketch is Mick's boyfriend and one of those people who confirm the prejudices of Slytherins. Time after time, he's proven himself to be selfish, cold-blooded and everything but trustworthy."

"Is not," Mick grumbled, prodding in his chicken angrily.

"So you're not a fan of him, huh?" Dean asked John before the two could start fighting again.

"You wouldn't be either if you met him," John muttered and Mick poked him in the ribs.

Michael had been playing with his food absentmindedly up until now. "So Gryffindors and Slytherins aren't really supposed to hang out?" he asked carefully and added to himself, _Not that it matters. I don't care._

"No, it's not that bad," John was quick to say. "It's not like there are rules to it or something... I mean, unfortunately there still might be people who will give you strange looks but that's about it. I personally don't know that many Slytherins but I don't think most are like Ketch."

Michael nodded, secretly a little bit relieved.

At his boyfriend's name Mick started pointing his fork at John accusingly. "You know, you are lucky that you're my best friend, otherwise I would kick your butt so hard you wouldn't be able to sit on your broom for the next three weeks."

Dean snorted and decided he would have to educate Mick on how to really insult someone later on.

"Yes, how did that happen?" Michael wondered. "Since the two of you are in different years and all."

John shrugged. "Mainly just sharing a room really. Oh and Quidditch of course."

"You play?" Dean grinned. He'd been hoping he would be able to join a team here but he hadn't even been sure if Hogwarts played Quidditch.

"Chaser," John nodded. "And Mick's our Keeper."

"No way!" Dean replied excitedly. If he hadn't been sure about his choice of friends before, he sure was now. "I'm a Chaser. And you too, Michael, right?"

Michael nodded and smiled. "That's right. And well, Wampus captain but I'm guessing that's not gonna happen here."

John's head snapped up. "You're a captain?" he pressed and when Michael nodded again, frowning in confusion, John exclaimed, "Thank Merlin! The Gryffindor captain went to Ilvermorny and asked me to replace him but I'm not really the leader type, you know... But with the exchange we have some free spots anyway, so you could step in if you'd want to!"

"Hey, I'm captain too, you know," Dean objected with a smile.

Still it was enough to make John feel guilty and he started to uncomfortably stutter, "Oh. Right. Uhm... well, you could join too of course but... I mean, we only need one captain..."

Dean and Michael exchanged a look. "Best man wins?" Michael proposed.

The younger guy took his hand and they shook on it. "Deal."

"This is gonna get good," Mick muttered.

"So you were a Wampus, Michael?" John asked.

"I am," Michael smiled proudly. "House of the warriors."

"What about you, Dean?"

"Thunderbird," he proclaimed, with a look just as smug as Michael's had been.

"You know, I'm actually curious about them now," Mick said. "You two should teach us about them sometime."

Michael smiled at Dean before turning back to Mick. "You know what? I think we should too."


	5. Hufflepuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hogwarts Houses  
> Gryffindor:  
> \- Dean Winchester  
> \- John Watson  
> \- Michael Shurley  
> \- Mick Davies  
> (- Greg Lestrade)
> 
> Hufflepuff:  
> \- Castiel Shurley  
> \- Adam Winchester  
> \- Samandriel Shurley  
> \- Molly Hooper  
> (- Martha Hudson)

Adam was trying his very best to not stare at Samandriel too obviously.

His class/House mate for the fourth year now was sitting a couple of seats to his left on the other side of the table, next to his older brother. Adam only knew the boy was called Castiel because... well, he basically remembered everything about Samandriel. _Stalker much,_ he thought to himself. But he couldn't help it. _Just look at him..._

"Are you alright?" the girl next to him snapped him out of his pondering. She was one of the Hogwarts students, seemed about his age and her long, brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Uh... yeah," he managed to get out, surprised at the genuine concern on her face.

She leaned into him and whispered, "Dark hair and blue eyes or the smaller cutie?"

Adam could feel his face heating instantly. "I... uhm... the... the smaller one."

"Aww, that's adorable," she laughed, keeping it quiet enough so no one would hear. "I'm Molly, by the way. Molly Hooper."

"Adam Winchester," he smiled and felt surprisingly grateful she was reaching out to him. She reminded him a bit of Jo. "How did you... uhm..." He finished his sentence with a subtle nod towards the Shurleys.

"Oh. Let's say I recognize unrequited love when I see it," Molly answered with a sad smile, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable herself too.

"Oh."

She waved his comment away immediately. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter, he would never notice me anyway. He isn't even in Hufflepuff."

Adam offered her a comforting half smile. "Sorry about that."

"Well, nothing I can do about it," Molly shrugged. "But back to you, do you two know each other well?"

"We've been in the same class and House for over three years now," he attempted to dodge the question.

Unfortunately Molly didn't fall for it. "Which is a nice way of saying he knows of your existence but you haven't exchanged two words."

Adam opened his mouth to protest before he realized he'd probably only make it worse anyway. So instead he decided to play safe. "Maybe."

She laughed and shook her head. And then she got an idea. She pressed her napkin into a ball and before there was anything Adam could do about it, she'd thrown it at the Shurley kids.

In that moment Adam could've died from embarrassment.

The ball hit Castiel's head and he looked up at the napkin, almost shocked. A frown appeared on his face and he tilted his head in confusion. This was odd. He'd seen situations like this happen but they never happened to _him_. And Samandriel was looking just as surprised. Castiel turned his gaze to the direction the napkin had come from and saw a smiling brunette diagonally across from him. She was a local, already wearing the colors of their House, which the Ilvermorny students would only get later tonight.

Normally Castiel would probably just have turned away and continued eating, maybe smile polite first, but he remembered what Michael had told him about "making friends". So he decided a first attempt wouldn't hurt and smiled at the girl, raising his hand in a small wave.

"Just wanted to say hi," Molly said. "You two are the President's, right?"

"Yes," Castiel replied, hoping she wouldn't turn out to be one of those people who only seemed interested in them for that sole reason.

"Cool. I'm Molly," she introduced herself.

"I'm Castiel," he replied.

Next to him, Samandriel had noticed the boy sitting next to Molly who seemed to be following their conversation. "Hi, Adam."

Adam inwardly thanked Merlin that he didn't start blushing like an idiot and managed what he hoped was a normal smile. "Hey, Samandriel."

Castiel on the other hand hadn't seen him before, so he asked his brother, "You know him?"

"Yeah, he's a Pukwudgie in my year."

Meanwhile Molly was looking between the two fourth-years in satisfaction, convinced that she could make this work out pretty well. "Adam here was just asking me if I could maybe show him around sometime and I was wondering if you two would like to join us?"

_Son of a bitch,_ Adam thought to himself. _She's good._

Luckily for him, someone approaching them instead of the other way around was exactly what the Shurleys had hoped for.

"That would be very nice of you," Castiel smiled. "Thank you."

"Of course!" she was quick to say. "No problem at all. What year are you in?"

"I'm in fifth, Samandriel is in fourth," Castiel told her and Samandriel nodded.

"What a coincidence, I'm in fifth too," she laughed. "That's great, that way the four of us can keep each other company."

Not only was Castiel relieved to have found a potential friend, he was also very grateful someone could be looking out for Samandriel, even if it was a fellow Ilvermorny student. He knew his brother kept by himself most of the time and at least he already seemed to know this Adam boy a bit. The smile on Samandriel's face told Castiel he was just as happy to not have to face his first day all alone.

"We'd love that," he told Molly, giving her a genuine smile.

Adam was really trying his best not to grin like crazy at the shy way Samandriel was smiling at them too.

"Well, it's my pleasure really," Molly says. "So don't be afraid to ask me if you need anything. Oh and you can always go to Professor Hudson too, the witch that led the Sorting Ceremony? She's our Head teacher and she's a real sweetheart. There isn't a thing she wouldn't do for her students."

The three Americans looked to the Head Table in unison. The older witch was sitting on Chuck Shurley's other side and just tapped his hand because he was about to steal away another chicken leg. His sons watched the event fondly, knowing their dad had never really been one for table manners. He was a big fan of finger food.

"She seems nice," Castiel said, looking back at Molly.

"She's amazing. She also teaches Herbology. I'm sure you'll like her."

Adam seemed to have finally found his tongue again. "Anything else we should know?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "How about the three of you just give me a proper introduction of yourselves?"

That did take all of them by surprise. They exchanged looks and when it became obvious the Shurleys weren't gonna start, Adam considered himself screwed.

"Fine," he sighed. "Well, the name is Adam Winchester clearly, I turn fourteen at the end of the month, I've got two older half-brothers, I wanna be a Healer and I like Quidditch."

"You play?" Molly asked with an interested look.

"Yeah, I'm the Pukwudgie Keeper at home."

She smiled brightly. "Want a spot on the Hufflepuff team?"

Adam's jaw basically dropped at the offer. "Wha- Really?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "We're missing a Chaser but our usual Keeper isn't too bad at that too. You can take his place."

"But..." He was about speechless really. He hadn't expected to be playing for the entire semester. "Are you sure? I mean, will that be okay with the team? Shouldn't I talk to them first?"

Molly put on a pensive look. "Maybe. But they'll have to listen to me anyway. Since I'm the captain."

"You're the captain?" Adam exclaimed.

"Yup, Chaser. So, what do you think?"

He got a little happier Molly had started talking to him every minute. "Yeah, of course! That'd be awesome, thanks."

"No problem," she smiled excitedly. "Welcome to the team." Then she turned back to the Shurleys. "Now, who's next?"

Castiel supposed he might as well go first. "My name is Castiel. I was adopted by Chuck Shurley at a very young age. I have three adoptive brothers, Michael, Gabriel, and Samandriel of course." He paused for a moment and frowned. "What else should I say?"

Molly shrugged. "Whatever you want. Interests, hobbies, secret desires."

"I like bees."

"Okay, that works too." She turned to Samandriel and smiled. "Your turn."

Samandriel blushed slightly at the undivided attention suddenly pointed towards him. "Uhm... Well, what Castiel said basically. I don't think there's anything else interesting to mention..."

Molly had already opened her mouth to encourage him a bit more, but to her surprise Adam beat her to it.

"You like Gobstones right?"

Samandriel looked up to him with big eyes. "Yes," he uttered in surprise.

Adam gave him a comforting smile. "I've seen you play in the Pukwudgie common room a couple of times."

"Oh," was all Samandriel got out. He hadn't expected anyone to have noticed him. Ever. He just wasn't that type of person, only doing what he was supposed to do.

"I'm not too bad a player myself," Adam mentioned and Molly gave him an amused look. Apparently he was able to make a move on his own.

"Oh," Samandriel stuttered again. Castiel was watching the scene before him unfold in utter confusion.

Adam secretly took a deep breath before asking, "Would you maybe like to play a game together sometime?" As soon as he had spoken the words, he felt as if his heart had stopped beating in anticipation.

But man, was it worth it when that small blush colored Samandriel's cheeks again. "I'd like that," the boy answered in a quiet voice before quickly looking down at his plate again.

Both Adam and Molly were trying their very best to not grin like idiots at the small victory.

Castiel was still confused. But then again he was also glad his brother seemed to be making a new friend. Michael would be very happy with the progress they'd made.

Adam turned back to his plate to try to hide the smile on his face. He knew it was nothing, really. It couldn't even be called a date. But it was a first step, more than he'd ever gotten, and he'd be damned if he wouldn't write Jo about this the next chance he got.


	6. Ravenclaw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hogwarts Houses  
> Gryffindor:  
> \- Dean Winchester  
> \- John Watson  
> \- Michael Shurley  
> \- Mick Davies  
> (- Greg Lestrade)
> 
> Hufflepuff:  
> \- Castiel Shurley  
> \- Adam Winchester  
> \- Samandriel Shurley  
> \- Molly Hooper  
> (- Martha Hudson)
> 
> Ravenclaw:  
> \- Sam Winchester  
> \- Sherlock Holmes  
> \- Charlie Bradbury  
> \- Kevin Tran  
> (- Metatron Shurley)

Sam, Kevin and Charlie were sitting at the end of the Ravenclaw table together, talking among themselves eagerly. And maybe Sam and Kevin were still discussing Charlie's placement too.

 "But Charlie, you're always such a good friend to everyone!" Kevin protested.

"And you're so fearless when it comes helping any of us," Sam added. That's when he suddenly thought of something. "Did you talk to the hat?"

"Did she what?" Kevin asked in disbelief. "Sam, no one _talked_ to that hat, it just did what it's supposed to."

"No, it doesn't," Sam answered without turning his eyes away from Charlie. "It takes requests into account."

Charlie had been going through a small notebook she'd taken with her on the train but now looked up from it. At first the girl just smiled mysteriously but when her two friends seemed to be taking this very seriously, she laughed. "Well, I didn't. Or not that I'm aware of at least. I didn't really have a preference anyway."

"Guess we'll never know then," Kevin sighed.

Sam was just about to agree when a little laugh sounded from next to them. He turned to look at a boy who was sitting a chair away from Kevin, a kid about his age with dark curly hair and sharp cheekbones. He was a Hogwarts student and appeared to be sitting by himself, none of the other kids even so much as turning a glance his way.

"Sorry, did you wanna say something?" Sam asked, looking past his friend. He wasn't trying to pick a fight or anything. He was really just curious if the guy had something to add, or maybe even just was looking for someone to talk to.

"Well, I didn't mean to disturb you but I couldn't help but find your ignorance amusing," the boy answered in a posh accent. Or maybe that was just because he'd just more directly insulted them than anyone Sam ever met.

"Our ignorance?" he huffed. He didn't know who this kid was but he certainly had guts. Which was a nice way of saying he was just being rude actually.

"Yes," the boy said and turned towards them. "It's abundantly clear why your friend is a Ravenclaw. She is smart, all be it not in a classic, scholarly way. She wasn't interested in your intellectual debate on whether or not she was fit for this House, for instance, but she does value useful knowledge. You can tell by her notebook. The corners have been crumpled so she clearly keeps it on her by all times, or at least almost, and by the little smudges of ink on her fingers you can tell she writes in quite often too, instead of just going over what's in it. Now, the question of course is what she's writing. Could be things she needs to remember, practicalities that could turn out to be useful, lists, memories, it could even be fiction, which would add to her creativity, a lesser known aspect of Ravenclaw. Speaking of, the cover and margins are decorated with drawings and stickers, including one from her American House, the Thunderbird. So she likes to explore, discover new things, she is curious and open-minded, yet _not_ fearless, as one of you pointed out. She does get scared, she was even nervous about the Sorting Ceremony, although she proclaims not to care about what House she would get into. Perfectly normal of course, especially since she was first to go, but still something to keep in mind. She knows how to manage on her own, she's had to in the past as the child of at least one Muggle."

"Muggle?" Sam interrupted him.

The guy rolled his bright green eyes at him. "Right. If I'm not mistaken, your people calls them No-Majs. Ridiculous word if you ask me. Anyway, her notebook, she even uses a ballpoint pen, it all screams Muggle, so either she is really interested in the subject and has studied it profoundly, or her parents are Muggles. Probably the second, otherwise she wouldn't be carrying around their materials. Plus, wizards don't do stickers and Muggles don't walk around with Ilvermorny symbols, so the sticker has to be handmade, computer-made to be exact since it would be drawn too perfect. Therefore she knows her way around with computers quite well, even more than most Muggles, ergo, she is creative _and_ smart. Like I said, practical knowledge. The fact that she still uses Muggle stuff means that not only she values her family but also isn't afraid to show it. If she minded standing out, she wouldn't be walking around with it after what I guess would be about five years of living in the wizarding world. So she is happy to be authentic and hold on to her individuality. Again, Ravenclaw."

As he finished, Charlie and her friends were just kinda left staring at him. None of them had ever, _ever_ experienced something like... whatever that had been. This unknown kid had basically just described Charlie's life, simply based off of... what? Her notebook?

"Six," was all she could manage to say.

"Excuse me?"

"I, uhm..." she stuttered, "I've been living in the wizarding world for six years now."

"Ah. Well, in my defense, you do look young for your age," the boy simply stated.

"Hold on, how did you just..." Sam started, then stopped and shook his head in disbelief.

The kid just huffed. "This is one was rather easy, really. Although if it's any consolation, your uncertainty was legitimate. Even the Sorting Hat itself needed a few seconds to think about its decision, so I'm assuming there was something right about whatever logic you were following."

"Are you a psychic or something?" Kevin asked. He was having a hard time believing the stranger had figured that all out by himself.

The kid raised an eyebrow at him. "Absolutely not."

Charlie frowned, just as confused as the two other boys. "Then how did you...?"

"The science of deduction."

The three of them looked at him, waiting in anticipation for a further explanation. When it didn't seem like they were gonna get any, Sam asked, "What is that?"

"Nothing more than paying attention," the British guy proclaimed. "It's very easy, actually. Everyone could do it. On pretty much anything."

Kevin was still eyeing him skeptically. "Really? Anything?"

"Anything. You would be a very boring example though, book smart, straight A's, hard worker, not much more to say really. Your friend, however," he turned to towards Sam, "is quite an interesting case."

Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You wanted to be placed in Ravenclaw," the boy answered. "You were right, the Hat does listen and you were prepared for that, you two actually seemed to have quite the talk. I'm pretty curious to what it told you but I'll guess that'll have to come later. Whatever it was, you were obviously excited about it. You were afraid of ending up in another House and wanted to avoid that at all costs. The question of course is why. Could be a strong preference for Ravenclaw or an aversion to its realistic competition, a House you would fit in but simply didn't want to join. So, what House? It wasn't Hufflepuff, you aren't even close to fitting in there because, good intentions aside, you are anything but innocent, you know it and you're not afraid to own that. The entire Great Hall could tell you aren't one to be messed with. Could've been Slytherin if you weren't so keen on helping others, even if it's in your own disadvantage. A funny contradiction really, presenting yourself as strong as you can, yet putting others before yourself. That leaves Gryffindor, which seems fair enough, you did just, directly or not, stand up to the Sorting Hat and you weren't afraid to approach me. So why the aversion? Can't be because of your friends, your brother is in Gryffindor and you two seem close enough. That means you were doing it for yourself, personally choosing Ravenclaw and putting Gryffindor aside, you've had to do something like that before. You're a Horned Serpent, know him better than her and he couldn't be anything else. Yet she's close to you, so probably a friend of your brother's, who is probably a Thunderbird too, not only because he is closer friends with her but also because of his challenging appearance and most importantly, your father is one. It would only make sense for the oldest son to want to step into his father's footsteps and I bet he loves being in the same House. He was also happy with his placement in Gryffindor, which would most likely be your father's House too. So, family of Thunderbirds, pretty sure you got the offer too, you fit the profile, and still you chose against it. Why? Easy. Horned Serpent fit you better, you didn't care about Thunderbird being the family tradition so you went for it. Still, you were awfully passionate about getting into Ravenclaw, while in fact Gryffindor would've suit you better than Thunderbird ever could. Stubbornness? Yes, probably too much for your own good if you ask me, but there's more to it. You were ready to fight for your decision, you were prepared because it wasn't the first time. Now, it couldn't have been the Ilvermorny sorting, that's pretty easy, the Houses volunteer, you pick. But you have had to defend your choice, not towards your older brother, he values the whole Thunderbird thing but you still get along more than most siblings, and neither your younger brother nor your friends, none of them having a reason to fight over it. That leaves only one option, your father. He wanted you to be a Thunderbird but you weren't and now you're choosing against Gryffindor out of mere stubborn refusal to walk in line and the desire to prove you are your own person. Did I get anything wrong?"

Sam was speechless. All of his thoughts, his feelings, things he'd never said out loud, maybe not even realized himself, it was all thrown out into the open by this complete stranger. He'd barely even heard the boy's question, too busy with trying to comprehend what had just happened. In the end, he could only come up with one reasonable explanation. "What spell did you use?"

"None."

He shook his head, certain he was right about this. He had to be. "No way. It has to be a spell."

The British wizard gave him an offended look. "It's not a _spell_ , it was simply a sophisticated interpretation of observations."

"That's impossible," Kevin put into words the exact same thing Sam had been thinking, with an almost horrified expression on his face.

"You just saw it happen with your own eyes, what more proof do you need?" the guy answered and looked at them patiently, as if he was actually expecting them to come up with another challenge.

By now Sam finally seemed to have found his common sense again. If it had all been true, if this kid really was able to tell so much about a person after what couldn't be more than fifteen minutes, Sam was pretty sure he'd just met the most brilliant mind the world had ever seen. "Who the hell are you?"

The boy smiled at him in amusement. Not joyfully or excitedly or even happily, just in amusement.

"The name's Sherlock Holmes."


	7. Slytherin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hogwarts Houses  
> Gryffindor:  
> \- Dean Winchester  
> \- John Watson  
> \- Michael Shurley  
> \- Mick Davies  
> (- Greg Lestrade)
> 
> Hufflepuff:  
> \- Castiel Shurley  
> \- Adam Winchester  
> \- Samandriel Shurley  
> \- Molly Hooper  
> (- Martha Hudson)
> 
> Ravenclaw:  
> \- Sam Winchester  
> \- Sherlock Holmes  
> \- Charlie Bradbury  
> \- Kevin Tran  
> (- Metatron Shurley)
> 
> Slytherin:  
> \- Gabriel Shurley  
> \- Lucifer Milton  
> \- Fergus "Crowley" MacLeod  
> \- Balthazar I.P. Freely  
> \- Jim Moriarty  
> \- Arthur Ketch  
> (- Rowena MacLeod)  
> (- Mycroft Holmes)

As soon as Gabriel took a seat at the Slytherin table, he knew exactly how this would end up going. It didn't take him longer than two seconds to establish his first target.

But first there was food. And more importantly, desserts.

He was mostly ignored during the meal itself, his fellow Americans too scared to get close to him, the Hogwarts students talking among themselves. He'd just started his third Cauldron Cake (he was really digging those) when someone finally did address him.

You could say he was pretty surprised when a boy with short, dark hair and a round face turned towards him and started talking out of nowhere. "You're one of Shurley's children, right?" he asked in a thick British accent.

What was he supposed to do, lie? "Yes," he answered, pulling up an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm Crowley," the guy introduced himself with a smug smile. "I'm Slytherin's Head Boy and I wanted to welcome you to our House."

Well, he hadn't exactly welcomed any of the other Ilvermorny students. Great. Some kid that wanted to be his friend because he was a Shurley. Why was he not even surprised. Gabriel immediately moved the arrogant-looking, well-built boy that was gonna be his number one victim to second place and decided on this Crowley dude instead. "Good for you, bucko." And he turned back to his food.

"So if you ever need anything," Crowley continued, "I'd be happy to do you a favor of course."

_Favors... suuuure..._ "Thanks for the offer but I think I'll pass."

"Well, if you ever change your mind..." the other boy went on.

Okay, he'd been here how long and people were already getting on his nerves? He was gonna have to show what he was capable of fast. He turned over to Crowley, smiled and made sure there was no mistaking what he was gonna say. "Okay, pal, I don't do friends and I certainly don't do favors. So if you could please just hand me those sugar-coated strawberries and kindly fuck off, that'd be great."

The guy looked satisfactorily taken aback by that and quietly passed him the bowl of strawberries. Unfortunately, that wasn't gonna do for Gabriel.

At the exact moment their hands both touched the bowl, he mumbled two simple words and snapped his other hand's fingers. And then Crowley was suddenly naked.

It was truly hilarious to see the boy's eyes turn big in shock, the other kids burst out in laughter and poor Crowley himself start to scream, as the Englishmen would say, 'bloody' murder. In fact, Gabriel was having the time of his life, popping a strawberry into his mouth. _Hmm, perfect,_ he thought to himself. _Heavenly sweet. Just like karma._

When the guy desperately started yelling reversal spells, all in vain of course, Gabriel started to feel the tiniest bit bad for him. "Don't bother, buddy," he sighed. "That won't work. It's all homemade, so only I know how to reverse it."

Crowley turned to him in shock. "You did this to me?!" he roared and Gabriel had to admit that if he'd been any less of a wizard, he probably would've actually felt intimidated by it.

"Yup. You were planning on messing with me, so..." he pouted his lips and shrugged, "thought I'd give you a taste of your own medicine before you got the chance. Oh and by the way, the biggest perk of being adopted by the President? You literally learn your magic from the best. Think that through before you ever consider trying to use someone again."

"TURN IT BACK!"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Now, why would I do that?"

That's when one of the other Hogwarts kids intervened, a boy with light brown hair and a chain necklace underneath his shirt. "Sorry, I hate to interrupt this beautiful piece of entertainment and place don't take my panties for saying this, but you might actually want to do that. His mother's our Head teacher."

The young American rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. _Of course his mommy is a teacher here..._ Okay, maybe he wasn't really one to talk. But Gabriel also would never be one to go complain to his dad. "Fine," he grumbled and snapped his fingers again.

Back to being fully clothed, Crowley seemed to be doing his very best to stare him to death, but Gabriel focused on the other boy. "So, who are you exactly?"

"My name's Balthazar. And what was yours again?"

"Gabriel." He smirked. "But people usually know me as the Trickster."

"I wonder why," Balthazar huffed sarcastically. Then he patted Crowley on the shoulder. "Cheer up, mate, what did you expect? Not everyone allows you to bait them into your debt."

"Yes, well, no one messes with me," Crowley sneered but it was obvious he was still embarrassed by what had happened.

"Seriously, how did you get to be Head Boy?" an American, mocking fourth voice suddenly chimed in. The three other boys turned their attention to a tall, blond guy. Gabriel thought he recognized him, down to the disapproving look on his face. "I mean, did your mom give it to you or something?"

Crowley turned a very dark shade of red. "First of all, you bastard, who do you think you are? And secondly, not that it's any of your business but I became Head Boy long before my mother, who I'm not exactly close to by the way, got installed as a teacher here."

The new kid just looked even more bored. "Still. I bet I could probably do a better job than you."

"You don't even know me!"

"I don't have to, there's 'pathetic' written all over you."

"Whoa okay, guys, calm down," Gabriel decided to intervene before they could actually jump at each other. "No hard feelings, alright?"

"Lovely, now I already hate him even more than you," Crowley muttered.

Gabriel shrugged. "I'll take that as a compliment." Then he turned to his fellow American, finally being able to place the guy. "You're Wampus, right?"

"Yup," the other boy smiled. "Lucifer Milton."

At once, Gabriel pulled up his eyebrows and grinned. " _You're_ Lucifer?" Oh, did he know that name. This was gonna be so much fun.

"He talks about me, huh?" Lucifer smirked.

"Not voluntarily of course but I have my methods."

"Are we missing something here? You two know each other?" Balthazar interrupted their conversation. Crowley was trying his very best to hide it but he had been following along too. Just out of curiosity.

Lucifer just gave a little shrug. "Everybody in their right mind knows the Trickster."

Okay, so maybe Gabriel was a little bit proud of that. "Yeah, and Lucifer here and my older brother Michael are classmates," he explained.

Crowley frowned at him suspiciously. "Your brother is friends with him? Is he out of his mind?"

"I'd say so, yes," Lucifer laughed. "Although I wouldn't exactly call us 'friends'."

"So you're screwing him?" Balthazar decided to join in.

Gabriel made a face while Lucifer burst out laughing at that. "I like him," he told Gabriel, pointing towards Balthazar.

"Right, that's Balthazar, this is Crowley," the Shurley kid quickly introduced them. "Please don't tell me you're screwing my brother."

Lucifer let out a dramatic sigh and took a sip from his butterbeer. "Unfortunately I'm just trying to make his life as uncomfortable as possible."

"Great, let's keep it at that. Or just never tell me if the situation changes."

"Deal."

Neither of them heard Crowley muttering under his breath, "I'm the only one making the deals here."

"So," Gabriel turned back to Balthazar. "What should we know about this place?"

The Hogwarts student shrugged. "Not a lot of exciting things to tell. Professor Holmes, the Headmaster? He's a Slytherin, first one for the position in years. It was about time we put those arrogant Gryffindors in their place, really. Like I said, Professor MacLeod is our Head and she teaches Potions."

Lucifer looked down at Crowley again. "That's your last name? MacLeod? What is that, Irish?"

"Scottish," Crowley sneered back at him. "If you're gonna mock me, the least you can do is know what you're talking about."

The other boy rolled his eyes and Gabriel decided to step in before things would get out of hand again. "So which one is she?"

"Redhead on the left side of the table," Balthazar told him.

Gabriel and Lucifer turned at the Head table in unison.

"She's hot," Gabriel commented.

"Please don't speak that way about my mother ever again."

Lucifer tilted his head a bit and pulled up his nose. "Yeah, I don't like her any more than I do you."

"Well, like I said, we aren't exactly close," Crowley snarled, his voice dripping with irony.

"She's a great teacher, you got to give her that," Balthazar said.

"What about the other students?" Gabriel continued. "Anything worth mentioning."

Crowley motioned at the same boy Gabriel had indicated as his first target at the beginning of the evening. "That's Arthur Ketch. He can turn out to be an ass sometimes. Actually, you never know what he'll turn out to be, except maybe selfish."

"He's not someone you should be worried about though," Balthazar filled in, then subtly pointed towards a slim boy with dark, neatly combed back hair who was sitting by himself. "If you want to worry about someone, do it about _him_. Jim Moriarty. Weird kid, no one knows anything about him, even though he's been here for over four years now."

Gabriel honestly didn't think they looked that threatening but who knew? "Alright. Keep away from the creeps, got it."

"You are one of the creeps," Lucifer commented, emptying his butterbeer.

"Gee, thanks bro."

Balthazar and Crowley exchanged a look. This could either work or fail completely. It was funny how fate, or whatever was out there, had thrown them together like this. None of them had ever really been friend material and they weren't planning on changing that now. But at that point, they realized this might turn into something close enough.


End file.
